Electricians find it difficult and clumsy to handle the plastic covered wire which is supplied in coils up to 1,000 feet in length because it is not supported on spools. As the wire is paid out into a conduit, it tends to retain its coiled shape thus creating friction in the conduit as well as leaving a snarled coil remnant. In order to reduce these problems, the electricians often take the time to attempt to remove the wire from the coil and lay it out straight on the floor, but to do so requires the efforts of two men.
Simple solid core knockdown flanged reels inserted into the coils have not been satisfactory because of the looseness of the coiled wire and the non-uniformity of inside diameter and thickness of the coils. When wire is pulled off a coil mounted on such a knockdown reel, the outer wire often pulls down into the coil to wedge between the lower turns and thus binds. A heavy and complicated pivoted arm expandable reel has been found impractible because of its weight, cost and cumbersome operation.
An example of a mechanically expandable reel for coils of wire is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,451,131 to Weber. Although Banlier in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,242 has shown an expandable core support for packages of yarn, it does not appear to be applicable to wire coils since end flanges, shaft and adjustable width bearing supports have not been shown or suggested.
A need for a simple and easily maintained expandable core reel for wire coils has thus been experienced and yet not been met by the prior art.